WWE is looking to kick of 2013 with a bang. With RAW’s struggling ratings sinking even lower for the final two taped “holiday” shows of 2012, next Monday’s live show represents a fresh start for the company’s flagship show and steps are being taken to jumpstart the new year.

Next Monday’s RAW will be up against stiff competition with the college football BCS Championship game, so WWE is bringing in The Rock for a special appearance and will feature WWE Champion CM Punk defending against Ryback in a Tables, Ladders & Chairs match. According to sources in WWE, there are big plans for Monday’s RAW that will have everybody buzzing by the time 11:15pm (ET) rolls around.

The following week (1/14) is the 20th Anniversary of WWE RAW – and there will be appearances from various WWE legends to add some star power to the historic night. With the show taking place from Houston, Texas – it’s possible we’ll see appearances from local legends The Undertaker, Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels. It’s also rumored that WWE will announce the first inductee into the Hall of Fame’s Class of 2013 that night.

Big picture, WWE Chairman Vince McMahon is gearing up for WrestleMania season and won’t be wasting any time shaking things up. There are reportedly plans for every RAW this month to be “stacked.”

Punk is so much more valuable to the WWE as a a heel. With that being said I think they are doing him a diservice and portraying him as a whiny crybaby at this point. I would like to see him be super heel as we lead into Royal Rumble where he will face The Rock, however I don't think Rock winning the Title is good for wrestling at this time

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(even when they have him lose it to Cena at Wrestlemania).

I do agree Punk's ring entrance is in need of a change, but I would like to see it go back to his ROH days.

WWE is looking to kick of 2013 with a bang. With RAW’s struggling ratings sinking even lower for the final two taped “holiday” shows of 2012, next Monday’s live show represents a fresh start for the company’s flagship show and steps are being taken to jumpstart the new year.

Next Monday’s RAW will be up against stiff competition with the college football BCS Championship game, so WWE is bringing in The Rock for a special appearance and will feature WWE Champion CM Punk defending against Ryback in a Tables, Ladders & Chairs match. According to sources in WWE, there are big plans for Monday’s RAW that will have everybody buzzing by the time 11:15pm (ET) rolls around.

The following week (1/14) is the 20th Anniversary of WWE RAW – and there will be appearances from various WWE legends to add some star power to the historic night. With the show taking place from Houston, Texas – it’s possible we’ll see appearances from local legends The Undertaker, Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels. It’s also rumored that WWE will announce the first inductee into the Hall of Fame’s Class of 2013 that night.

Big picture, WWE Chairman Vince McMahon is gearing up for WrestleMania season and won’t be wasting any time shaking things up. There are reportedly plans for every RAW this month to be “stacked.”

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WWE's biggest problem is that it is stale. The focus has been on Cena far too long and he has had no character development in years. The TV PG stuff is killing them as well.

That was one of the best lines I have heard in a long time. That whole promo was amazing, even with the rock attempting to ruin it with his tired shtick. Funny how the heels are the most honest with the fans.

-Punk against...Broadus Clay? Seriously?
-Please, please get Mike Mizanin off the ****ing show. The dude is terrible. That segment with Flair was depressingly bad. Thank god Cesaro came out and saved it to a certain extent.
-I was excited when Barrett came back from injury, but they've saddled him with shitty entrance music and a snoozefest of a finisher. Ooooh, it's a "big elbow", how exciting.
-Same old "Super Cena" match where he kicks out of every finisher his opponent has. Yawn.
-Where were all of the "legends"?
-Michael Cole is ****ing TERRIBLE on commentary. Why do I need to hear him doing nothing but laughing into the mic at various points in the show? What value does that add for the viewer? "Wow, I'm thoroughly enjoying listening to Michael Cole laugh. It adds so much to my experience of watching the show." - said no one, ever
-I'm sorry, but the Rock's schtick is now tired and boring. If I never have to be subjected to another one of these "Rock concerts" ever again it will be too soon.
-Where the **** is Lesnar? What are they paying him for?

-Punk against...Broadus Clay? Seriously?
-Please, please get Mike Mizanin off the ****ing show. The dude is terrible. That segment with Flair was depressingly bad. Thank god Cesaro came out and saved it to a certain extent.
-I was excited when Barrett came back from injury, but they've saddled him with shitty entrance music and a snoozefest of a finisher. Ooooh, it's a "big elbow", how exciting.
-Same old "Super Cena" match where he kicks out of every finisher his opponent has. Yawn.
-Where were all of the "legends"?
-Michael Cole is ****ing TERRIBLE on commentary. Why do I need to hear him doing nothing but laughing into the mic at various points in the show? What value does that add for the viewer? "Wow, I'm thoroughly enjoying listening to Michael Cole laugh. It adds so much to my experience of watching the show." - said no one, ever
-I'm sorry, but the Rock's schtick is now tired and boring. If I never have to be subjected to another one of these "Rock concerts" ever again it will be too soon.
-Where the **** is Lesnar? What are they paying him for?

I think it's about time to stop watching this shit for awhile.

I think you just about nailed every point you made. I think the Miz could have been okay in the attitude era, but you really cannot have a character like his in this PG crap.

The super cena shit is just way out of hand. They completely trashed Ziggler with this week and last week. Now his character looks way too weak for a title run. Cena just cannot sell for shit. He can't even be bothered to act like his back hurts after a match like that. Someone is going to have to pull an HBK and way oversell anything he does in a match to make him look ridiculous.

**WWE /Pro Wrasslin Thread**

It's not going to be long before ol' Ryback sinks to the mid card, and rightfully so. His mic work sucks. You can't just yell "feed me more" over and over again forever. People will tire of that shit. I already have.

On a positive note, I'm excited about Dean Ambrose. I think he's going to be a mega star.

What the hell is the deal with Orton? Did they just get tired of him failing drug tests? They're treating him like he's in the twilight of his career (clean jobbing to Barrett, the Intercontinental Champ???) when age wise he should be in his prime. If anybody desperately needs a heel turn, it's him.

It's not going to be long before ol' Ryback sinks to the mid card, and rightfully so. His mic work sucks. You can't just yell "feed me more" over and over again forever. People will tire of that shit. I already have.

On a positive note, I'm excited about Dean Ambrose. I think he's going to be a mega star.

What the hell is the deal with Orton? Did they just get tired of him failing drug tests? They're treating him like he's in the twilight of his career (clean jobbing to Barrett, the Intercontinental Champ???) when age wise he should be in his prime. If anybody desperately needs a heel turn, it's him.

You are right about Ambrose, he has the making of a big star. I would love for the shield to be turned loose and be a full blown heel stable working on taking the title for themselves. If they would let Ziggler, Bryan, Punk, and Ambrose be the top for a while it would make the show really fun again.

Ryback has no mic skills at all and his ring work is sloppy at best. He has Jack Swagger written all over him.

Orton is in the same boat as Cena, no character development what so ever. Plus all of his matches are taking a beating forever with 4 moves of doom and a win.

**WWE /Pro Wrasslin Thread**

Of course WWE had to ban Orton's "punt" because it's not PG enough. Apparently seeing someone get kicked in the head is too much for the poor kiddies to stomach but seeing someone having their arm "broken" (wink) is a-ok.

Of course WWE had to ban Orton's "punt" because it's not PG enough. Apparently seeing someone get kicked in the head is too much for the poor kiddies to stomach but seeing someone having their arm "broken" (wink) is a-ok.

I didn't get to see most of it, but was watching the Thunder game and flipped over occasionally and didn't see anything "spectacular" to make it worth an anniversary show, other than showing some highlights here and there.

"The Rock's **** and Twinkie tit joke are PG though." Exactly. When I saw he was having a "concert", I knew it was him coming out with his guitar rhyming about the same ol crap he does every time he "sings".

When they announced the steel cage match, it was just another way to hype the overly used Cena. BTW, I saw that pre-match interview with Ziggler and his hair looked like he put some mess on it, than made it really yellow, instead of his usual white-blonde look.

What's to come is very predictable. Rock defeats Punk at Rumble, wins WWE Title. Cena wins Rumble, goes to WM for rematch with Rock. Cena wins. They haven't done anything really to make the audience surprised. It's the same old routine. I remember when at the end of a WM, they had a twist. Like when Warrior came to rescue Hogan, or when Hogan quickly challenged Yokozuna to win the title. What I think would be a good way to end this upcoming WM, would be to have Cena defeat the Rock and have both men just worn out from their historic match part 2. Next, have Ziggler run down, cash in his MITB contract, pin an already worn out Cena, and the title changes hands again to a heel. They gotta do something different though. They better hurry as well, because it's mid-January and Taker needs another story line of someone who can stop the streak as well as another opponent to defeat at WM.

I didn't get to see most of it, but was watching the Thunder game and flipped over occasionally and didn't see anything "spectacular" to make it worth an anniversary show, other than showing some highlights here and there.

"The Rock's **** and Twinkie tit joke are PG though." Exactly. When I saw he was having a "concert", I knew it was him coming out with his guitar rhyming about the same ol crap he does every time he "sings".

When they announced the steel cage match, it was just another way to hype the overly used Cena. BTW, I saw that pre-match interview with Ziggler and his hair looked like he put some mess on it, than made it really yellow, instead of his usual white-blonde look.

What's to come is very predictable. Rock defeats Punk at Rumble, wins WWE Title. Cena wins Rumble, goes to WM for rematch with Rock. Cena wins. They haven't done anything really to make the audience surprised. It's the same old routine. I remember when at the end of a WM, they had a twist. Like when Warrior came to rescue Hogan, or when Hogan quickly challenged Yokozuna to win the title. What I think would be a good way to end this upcoming WM, would be to have Cena defeat the Rock and have both men just worn out from their historic match part 2. Next, have Ziggler run down, cash in his MITB contract, pin an already worn out Cena, and the title changes hands again to a heel. They gotta do something different though. They better hurry as well, because it's mid-January and Taker needs another story line of someone who can stop the streak as well as another opponent to defeat at WM.

Probably a no go on the Ziggler at WM story, I think the blue briefcase works on the WHC (the smackdown belt) only, but I could be wrong. Maybe if they insist on Cena beating the Rock they will end WM with Cena turning heel to beat the Rock. Have Punk take on Taker, which would be a good one.

--There are some returns scheduled over the next two nights and the feeling is this will be a very newsworthy two days. They expect a lot of people to be talking about WWE over the next 48 hours with some of the plans.